Losing out on a summer of tourism this year could be a “death knell” for tourism agencies, the Federated Association of Travel and Tourism Agents (FATTA) told The Malta Independent.Last Sunday, Prime Minister Robert Abela said that Malta ...

The country should not be aiming to give ‘free holidays’ to tourists, PN spokesperson for tourism Robert Arrigo told The Malta Independent.This newspaper contacted Arrigo to get the PN's perspective on the plans Malta has for the coming s...

 People across Britain flocked to shed shaggy locks and browse for clothes, books and other “non-essential” items as shops, gyms, hairdressers, restaurant patios and beer gardens reopened Monday after months of lockdown.British Prime...

Malta has turned to Turkey as it continues discussions on how best to work together to improve life in Libya.Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Evarist Bartolo had a working meeting with the Libyan Minister of Foreign Affairs Najla Mangoush, a...

A man was seriously injured on Monday evening in a stabbing incident in Marsa, the police said.The incident took place in Tigrija Street at around 10.30pm.A 35-year-old man from Zurrieq was stabbed by a 32-year-old man who lives in St Paul’s Ba...

Former United States ambassador to Malta Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley has been appointed as the USA’s first chief diversity officer by the State Department.The appointment is part of the Biden administration’s efforts to put diversity, equ...

Former Labour Prime Minister Alfred Sant has voted in favour of a European Parliament Resolution on rule of law conditionality and said that it could be a step towards the introduction of an EU mechanism that would truly and legitimately safeguard th...

The Prime Minister's warning on Sunday is one that raises some concern.Malta has been battling against the Covid-19 pandemic for over a year. The government laid out a financial strategy to aid businesses survive as long as possible, while retaining ...

Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo has said that neither his ministry nor the Malta Tourism Authority has given any blessing for mass events to take place in Malta.Taking to social media to allay concerns after adverts marketing major parties and festi...

Over 85% of primary students returned to their classrooms when schools reopened on Monday, the Education Ministry said.All educational institutes were closed down in March amid a spike in Covid-19 cases, but they are gradually opening this week, afte...

St Aloysius College sixth form students will be physically present for their examinations after the school received approval from health authorities to hold the said exams in-person.Emails sent to students by the school’s administration seen by...

Nationalist MP Toni Bezzina claimed on Monday he was the victim of a "political frame-up" after he was interrogated by police over corruption claims dating back to 2012. Bezzina was questioned by police at the Financial Crime Investigation Depar...

47 new cases of Covid-19 were reported by health authorities on Monday.No new deaths related to Covid-19 were recorded in the past 24 hours – the second day in a row that this has happened – meaning that the death count remains at 402.It ...

1,261 people were fined for Covid-19 regulation breaches over the past 7 days, the health authorities have said.784 fines were for people not wearing a mask in public. 366 fines were to people who were in groups larger than two.92 people were fined f...

Hamrun was draped in red and black after its football team won its first football league title in 30 years.The locality’s football team – Hamrun Spartans – were confirmed as Premier League champions last Friday after Malta’s f...

The news that English Language Teaching (ELT) schools will need to remain closed has brought the sector “to its knees”, the Federation of English Language Teaching Organisations Malta (FELTOM) has said.While Maltese schools will start reo...

President of Malta George Vella has announced a webinar to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of Malta’s 1921 constitution.The webinar will be taking place on 17th April at San Anton Palace and will focus on a myriad of different aspects that...

Public Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci has said that so far there has been no confirmed case of blood clots related to any Covid-19 vaccine in the country.Speaking on TVAM on Monday morning, Gauci said that there were two reports of blood clots...

Three people were arrested between Sunday and Monday in two separate anti-drug trafficking operations, police said on Monday.In the first operation, which took place on Sunday in Qormi, a 23-year-old from Hamrun was arrested at around 3pm.His vehicle...

Every law that affects children needs to take into account the interest of minors, Minister for Social Justice and Solidarity, the Family and Children's Rights Michael Falzon told Parliament on Monday.Parliament is discussing a Bill to amend the Mino...

Parliamentary Secretary Alex Muscat had to withdraw what he said against former PN Leader Adrian Delia following a ruling by the Speaker, who found the Parliamentary Secretary to be in breach of parliamentary privilege after a complaint by the Nation...

In its feedback to the Parliamentary Secretariat for Civil Rights and Reforms on the White Paper on Cannabis Policy, the Malta Sociological Association (a registered Voluntary Organisation) suggested that the proposal and consultation exercise should...

A 26-year-old man from the Ivory Coast was remanded in custody after he was charged in connection with another ‘romance fraud’ case.The police had already arraigned six people over similar crimes in February and investigations into this m...

A total of 9,151 tourists visited Malta during the month of February, statistics published by the National Statistics Office on Monday show.5,564 of those travelled to Malta on holiday, while 2,281 travelled to the country on a business or profession...

Primary schools, as well as childcare centres and kindergartens, are to open this morning after a five-week closure – which included the Easter holidays – as Malta makes a first step towards a return to normality.A surge in Covid-19 cases...

Robert Strickland has invoked his right to reply on some of the comments made by Judge Emeritus Giovanni Bonello, Chairman of The Strickland Foundation in the article “It is up to the courts to decide whether my claims are justified” webs...

Millions of people in Britain will get their first chance in months for haircuts, casual shopping and restaurant meals on Monday, as the government takes the next step on its lockdown-lifting road map.Nationwide restrictions have been in place in Eng...

A young man was rescued by the Civil Protection Department after falling off a cliff at il-Maqluba, the department said.In a Facebook post accompanied by photos, the department said it was called to assist a youth who fell off a cliff at Maqluba area...

A man who lost part of his index finger in an accident near Malta had it reattached in a 19-hour operation in Turkey, Turkish media report.The man was working on a vessel near Malta when his finger was severed.He was evacuated to Mater Dei Hospital b...

Each spring, millions of European raptors that have over-wintered in Africa set out from that continent for breeding areas in Europe to breed and raise young. Most leave Africa via the Strait of Gibraltar at the western end of the Mediterranean and v...

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, there have been plenty of articles published about people in breach of Covid-19 regulations. The Hamrun football celebrations, the White Rocks party are some of the more infamous ones.Just recently, another came to l...

It’s an often used saying that where there is an opportunity for crime, crime will always find a way to exploit it.  As countries clamped down on travel and mandated the need for a negative test result to enter their borders – so cam...

It’s time to go from discussion on migration to action, MEP Cyrus Engerer said.He was speaking during a European Parliament discussion on the matter. The MEP said it was time to discuss action by the Commission against certain member states for...

66 new cases of Covid-19 were registered on Sunday, as 44 people recovered.This means that the number of active cases rose slightly to 558. No new deaths were reported.Malta has had 29,614 cases of Covid-19 since the pandemic first reached the island...

European Union leaders no longer meet around a common oval summit table to broker their famed compromises. Instead, each of the 27 watches the other heads of state or government with suspicion via a video screen that shows a mosaic of faraway capital...

More research on cannabis consumption should be conducted before the process of legalising it for recreational use, not after, the Dean of the Faculty of Social Wellbeing, Prof. Andrew Azzopardi said.Legalising cannabis is in the pipeline for Malta a...

Prime Minister Robert Abela stressed the importance of the coming summer and its success in terms of tourism, highlighting that the coming weeks will define the future of the country."If we lose a summer of tourism, the country will have problems. If...

Maltese newsrooms have joined together in expressing concern at a recent court decision to charge journalists with contempt over the publication of stories that are deemed to be in the public interest. In a joint statement, The Malta Independent, Tim...

Politicians have always done it, and they will continue to do it.It is one line of defence they have always resorted to. Each time something potentially dangerous to their popularity, or events which hit them hard take place, they come up with a cont...

A season that provided the flickers of a title challenge is now turning into the worst of Jose Mourinho's managerial career.Of all the managers to inflict Tottenham's 10th loss of the Premier League season, it was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who replaced M...

Inter Milan continued the march to its first Serie A title in more than a decade as it beat relegation-threatened Cagliari 1-0 on Sunday.Defender Matteo Darmian scored the only goal of the match in the 77th minute as Inter found it tougher than expec...

On 12th April 1807, at around 9.30 pm, a huge explosion echoed around the Grand Harbour.Even in the dark, observers would have been able to see the huge pall of smoke floating above Fort Ricasoli, where the blast had originated. Inside the fort itsel...

The police are pushing for an investigation into PN MPs on the eve of an election, Opposition and PN leader Bernard Grech said in an interview on Sunday.This comes after PN MPs Karol Aquilina and Toni Bezzina both faced investigations, with the forme...

The PN is not attracting new voters or those who left the party long ago, PN candidate Roselyn Borg Knight said in a Facebook post.Borg Knight was likely referring to the latest MaltaToday survey which shows that while support for the party is rising...

The completion date of a landing ferry terminal in Sliema with sheltered waiting, landing and boarding areas has been extended to the first quarter of 2022, Infrastructure Malta told The Malta Independent.Infrastructure Malta spokesman David Vella ex...

A Somali man was charged with injuring a compatriot in Gozo, the police said.On Saturday, the police reported that two men aged 35 and 40 were involved in a fight in Port Street, Zebbug.The 35-year-old – no name was given by the police – ...

Former Archbishop Paul Cremona is recovering at Mater Dei hospital after a minor medical intervention in his heart, the Curia said in a statement.He is in good condition.Archbishop Charles Scicluna urged people to pray for him.

The Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association (MEIA) has said that it is deeply concerned that performing arts schools have not been allowed to reopen.Whereas public health remains a priority for the association and its members, lack of consu...

What happened this past week with regard to Covid-19 was similar to the previous week, statistician Vincent Marmara said.In his weekly blog for The Malta Independent on Sunday, Marmara said that the number of cases registered this past week was sligh...

Amendments to the Corporate Service Provider regulations will help weed out any bad apples from the system, Emily Benson, the Malta Financial Services Authority's (MFSA) Head of Conduct Supervision told The Malta Independent on Sunday.Benson was...

Once more, the two government representatives on Parliament’s ethics committee have torpedoed the work that same committee was meant to carry out and have effectively stopped an important discussion on an apparent serious breach of ethics by a ...

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health Chris Fearne announced that, as of today, a new system for the Covid-19 vaccine roll out will be put in place, allowing people over 50 years of age to register for the Covid-19 vaccine.During a press conf...

The Strickland Foundation has issued a response to Robert Hornyold Strickland's article titled: 'It is up to the Courts to decide whether my claims are justified'Strickland Foundation's full replyJudge Emeritus Giovanni Bonello, Chairman of The Stric...

A man who aggressively intimidated and physically attacked two Planning Authority enforcement officers was arrested and arraigned in Court to face criminal charges.The attack happened after the Planning Authority concluded investigations regarding il...

Charles Polidano, known as ic-Caqnu, was questioned by police on Saturday afternoon on alleged threats, use of force, bodily harm, and revenge porn, Times of Malta reports. Sources told the newspaper that Polidano was arrested at his home and es...

Thirty-seven new Covid-19 cases were registered in the last 24 hours, with one new death, figures released by the health authorities show.The latest victim is a 96-year-old woman who died at Mater Dei Hospital.There were 47 patients who recovered.The...

A fight on a construction site landed a man in hospital, the police said.The incident took place in Mikieland Sapiano Street, Zebbug, at 11.15am.It involved two men, a Maltese resident on San Gwann, aged 44, and a 22-year-old man from Gambia.The latt...

Valletta: Empire Pharmacy, 77, Old Theatre Street; Marsa: Vivien Pharmacy, Patri Magri Street; Qormi: Evans Pharmacy, 96/98, St Sebastian Street; Birkirkara: Remedies Pharmacy, Tumas Fenech Street; Msida: Regal Pharmacy, 39B, Antonio Bosio Street; Pa...

Virtu' Ferries have announced that the company will be running a Malta-Gozo fast-ferry service as from June.In a post on Facebook, the company said that after 30 years of services between Malta and Sicily, it is now planning to introduce a boat servi...

Prince Philip’s royal ceremonial funeral will take place April 17 at Windsor Castle — a slimmed-down service amid the COVID-19 pandemic that will be entirely closed to the public.Philip, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, took part in p...

Alfred Degiorgio and his brother George Degiorgio, both accused of murdering journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in October 2017, today issued a second statement stating that they were and are still prepared to say the whole truth.By means of this seco...

A man was seriously injured on Saturday afternoon after he fell off scaffolding, the police said.The accident took place in Dom Mintoff Road, Cospicua, at 2pm.The man, a Palestinian aged 46 who resides in Luqa, fell one story.He was taken to hospital...

The U.K.’s national broadcaster switched instantly into mourning mode when Prince Philip’s death was announced but not everyone has agreed with that BBC decision.The BBC canceled its regular programming Friday and aired special ...

Zlatan Ibrahimović set up two goals but was also sent off as AC Milan won 3-1 at relegation-threatened Parma on Saturday to keep its small Serie A title hopes alive.Ibrahimović had a hand in both Milan’s first-half goals but was shown...

One stoppage-time goal slowed Manchester City's march to the Premier League title.Another ignited Liverpool's push for the Champions League qualification positions.A day of dramatic finishes in England's top flight began with City losing 2-1 to 10-ma...

Moviment Graffitti has announced the end of the first phase of its actions in Dingli, where it has successfully halted illegal works carried out by Infrastructure Malta on a "schemed" road for three weeks.In a statement, the group thanked the residen...

Police have identified the man found dead on Thursday in Lija. The victim is a 42 year old man who lives in Birkirkara.He was found in the public toilets in Vjal it-Trasfigurazzjoni shortly after 6am.Both the magisterial inquiry and Police investigat...

Minister Carmelo Abela on Friday night filed an urgent libel case against Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi after the latter’s allegations that Abela was involved in a heist at HSBC in 2010.The Registry of the courts of law was opened “urgen...

Pope Francis has offered Queen Elizabeth II "heartfelt condolences" for the loss of her husband and praised the late Prince Philip for his devotion to marriage and "distinguished record" of public service.In a telegram sent by the Vatican's secretary...

A worker was grievously injured after a wooden plank fell on him, the police said.The accident took place at the Hal Far industrial estate at 9am.The worker, a 32-year-old Tunisian man who resides in Marsascala, was unloading woods from a container.H...

In recent weeks we have been regaled with findings that have shocked many, but which were just a confirmation to many others, including followers of the slain Daphne Caruana Galizia's writings, of the wrongdoings of many in Prime Minister Joseph Musc...

Doctors for Road Safety (D4RS) welcomed reports published recently in the local media that four speed cameras are to be installed along the Coast Road by the Local Enforcement System Agency (LESA) and Transport Malta. There is no doubt that this is a...

The Federation and English Language Teaching Organisations of Malta expressed  its disappointment following the recent announcement made by the Superintendent of Public Health delaying the opening of ELT schools.While this is having a detrimenta...

Two Somali men were injured after an argument between them in Gozo.It was around midnight when Police were called in Port Street in Żebbuġ, after these two men allegedly fought using a broken bottle and a knife.A medical team were called on...

A 64 year old man from Żejtun was injured after being hit by car whose driver kept on driving without stopping.The accident happened yesterday at 7pm.The victim received help from a medical team and was taken to Mater Dei Hospital. He was certif...

Hospitals in Turkey and Poland are filling up. Pakistan is restricting domestic travel. The U.S. government will send more help to the state with the country's worst infection increase.The worldwide surge in coronavirus cases and deaths includes even...

LONDON - Gun salutes marking the death of the Duke of Edinburgh will take place across the U.K., in Gibraltar and at sea.The U.K. defense ministry said that batteries will fire 41 rounds at one round every minute from midday in cities including Londo...

Times of Malta assistant editor Matthew Xuereb has been appointed President of the Institute of Maltese Journalists.He succeeds Sylvana Debono who has stepped down after moving on from journalism to another profession. Also n...

Minister Carmelo Abela was promised €300,000 in exchange for helping the would-be robbers in the 2010 HSBC heist, PN MP Jason Azzopardi claimed on Facebook on Friday.In an explosive Facebook post, the PN MP said that he was reacting after being ...

48 new cases of Covid-19 were found over the past 24 hours and no patients have died, the health authorities said on Friday.Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci held  her weekly Coronavirus briefing today, which can be followed in the live stre...

It is well known that Malta has a special place in the heart of the Royal Family – particularly that of Queen Elizabeth II and her now late husband Prince Philip, who passed away on Friday morning at the age of 99.In all its years of rule, the ...

Standards Commissioner George Hyzler has denied suggestions that an ethics report could have been leaked to the media, and has also called for the decision on whether such reports should be published or not to move solely back to his discretion.The l...

Speaker Anglu Farrugia decided not to go ahead with the Standards Committee meeting regarding the reported ethics breach of Minister Carmelo Abela this morning as PL members didn’t show up.Farrugia said that he cannot continue with the hearing ...

Prince Philip, the husband of British monarch Queen Elizabeth II, has passed away at the age of 99, the Royal Family announced on Friday."It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal High...

Czech Airlines will soon resume Malta operations , Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo announced on Friday. The minister was announcing new schemes to help attract tourists to Malta in the summer months.Bartolo proposed two schemes which form part of a ...

Hamrun Spartans have been declared as Malta’s football champions for the first time in 30 years.The decision was taken at an MFA Executive meeting on Friday after health authorities this week refused to lift a ban on competitive sports, a decis...

A veteran Greek crime reporter was gunned down Friday near his home in southern Athens, police said.Giorgos Karaivaz was found dead early in the afternoon with several gunshot wounds beside his car in the Alimos suburb, police said.Private Star TV, f...

It is sad that, for very different reasons, we have two main political parties that have been in difficulty for some time.Starting with the Labour Party (PL), which registered two resounding victories. Never has the PL been so popular, but never has ...

Visits to people residing in elderly people’s homes are being restricted to persons from one household unless an agreement is reached with the authorities, guidelines published today show.The Social Care Standards Authority has said that two vi...

Online grocery shopping and purchasing items from local shops are the top trends observed amongst Maltese digital consumers in 2020, the Malta Communications Authority (MCA) has announced.MCA published a study on how consumption patterns utilizing eC...

Labour MPs have asked for an investigation by the Speaker into leaks from the Standards in Public Life Parliamentary Committee. In a statement on Thursday, Labour MPs Edward Zammit Lewis and Glen Bedingfield lamented that a report issued by Stan...

The Building and Construction Agency (BCA) has halted works on a construction site in Birkirkara over method statement breaches.The site is located on Triq L-Akwedott /Triq Fleur De Lys.The BCA said two enforcement notices were issued: one against th...

The proposed Cannabis reform “will not in any way tackle the problem,” the Gozo Business Chamber said.In a statement, the GBC showed its support to the position of Caritas Malta, the OASI Foundation, and the Association of Maltese Psychia...

It is particularly worrisome that the Dean of the Faculty for Social Well-Being Prof. Andrew Azzopardi, speaking on his behalf and on behalf of all Faculty members is accusing ReLeaf Malta of being a profit-driven lobby group aimed at promoting the c...

The Malta Employers’ Association has called for a legislative framework and clear guidelines with regard to Covid-19 vaccination at the workplace.This would ensure a healthy work environment, which is in everyone’s interest, it said.Durin...

A young man was grievously injured after falling a flight of steps in a residence in Swieqi.The police said the accident took place in Fomm Gheliem Street at 11pm.The 21-year-old, who resides in Birkirkara, was taken to hospital with grievous injurie...

Two men were arrested by the police in connection with a string of thefts between February and April.The thefts occurred from homes, garages and restaurants in Fgura, Kalkara, Vittoriosa, Paola, Zabbar, Marsascala and Zejtun.The two men, aged 41 and ...

Ambulances filled with breathless patients lined up in Brazil as nations around the world set new records Thursday for COVID-19 deaths and new coronavirus infections. The disease surged even in some countries that have kept the virus in check.In the ...

U.S. intelligence officials are painting a dark picture of the world's future, writing in a report released Thursday that the coronavirus pandemic has deepened economic inequality, strained government resources and fanned nationalist sentiments.Those...